


Gathering warmth

by AliaMael



Series: The fluffiest dragon hoard [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, Implied Slur, Other, Slice of Life, Teratophilia, dragon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26635426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliaMael/pseuds/AliaMael
Summary: Social events can be a pain… or a very good time. Guess which it is when you're with Rafael.
Series: The fluffiest dragon hoard [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1428451
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10
Collections: La Tanière du Monstre / The Monster's Den, No Sex Terato





	Gathering warmth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BreathlessKid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreathlessKid/gifts).



> We all deserve more cute dragons in our lives.

You look at yourself in the mirror and sigh. You look good, all dressed up for the evening gala, but you can already feel the strain. You positively hate this damn annual party. But it would be bad for your image with the city council to just skip it, so here you are once again, ready to mingle with people from all the shops and industries in the town, with a sprinkle of rich socialites.

Strangely enough, people tend to look down on you when they realise what you're selling. It's not serious enough, not adult enough.

Tonight though, you're pretty optimistic the party is not going to be as horribly dull as the other years. Tonight, you bring Rafael as your plus one.

When you asked him, he seemed unsure at first, and you feared you were pressuring him into something he didn't want… and then you realised he just needed to hear that you sincerely wanted him there and he would not be a burden. Given how gentle and careful he always is, you don't imagine him making a faux pas, but honestly even if he somehow managed it you wouldn't be crossed.

Yeah, that's how fed up you are with this ridiculous gala.

But anyway, Rafael should soon join you. Why he wanted to meet you at your home, you're not sure, but… well, you can't help but feel warm inside that he now has your address. You check one last time that your outfit is correct, make a face at your reflection and head to the front door.

The doorbell rings when you're only three steps away. Perfect timing.

You open the door. You feel your eyes widen but can't help it.

"Good evening," Rafael greets you. "I hope I'm not late?"  
"I– No, you… you're good," you stutter.

He is _dashing_. Gorgeous. Mind-blowingly handsome.

"Are you alright?" he asks, confused by your staring.

You collect yourself and smile.

"Yeah, it's all good, don't worry."

Seriously, you knew he was beautiful, but his usually unassuming posture and clothes managed to make you forget that he does have the potential to bring all the eyes of a room on him. Now that he wears a perfectly fitted suit and that his hair is free of sewing thread and random doll filling, his cuteness all turned into more conventional charisma.

Well. This is going to be an interesting evening.

You rarely use your car, but the venue is in a place where public transportation stops running early and you're not sure how long you're going to stay, so you drive while Rafael fidgets on the passenger seat.

"Hey, it's going to be alright," you say.  
"I'm not used to this…"  
"You don't have to do anything special. Just chat with me and answer if someone talks to you and is not rude enough to deserve being ignored."

In the corner of your eyes, you can see him furrow his brows, visibly wondering if you're joking or not.

"It's just boring people," you conclude. "Nothing more."  
"I don't want to make you look bad by association…"

… alright, some of the cute is still here despite the level up in charisma.

You finally arrive at the gala. You put your best commercial smile on and enter the main room, Rafael holding your arm like a gentleman.

Of course, every person seeing him proceeds to stare. It's not every day that you see someone with silver hair shining softly in the light, and that's before the whole dashing thing.

The difference is probably not visible, but you can feel when Rafael's hand on your arm becomes a desperate grab on a lifeline.

"Relax," you say. "No one's gonna eat you."  
"… how can you do this _every year_?" he asks, something like admiration audible through his unease.  
"Well, let's be honest, they never stared at _me_ like that," you admit.  
"I don't feel flattered at all," he complains.

Then someone decides to accost you. Or, more accurately, Rafael, who politely does his best to redirect the attention towards you. This sets the tone for the following half hour; everyone wants to know who Rafael is, but you make them all flee when you talk about your shop.

It could feel insulting, but for once it's actually entertaining. Being dismissed was not fun the previous years, but now that you deliberately weaponise it…

After a while Rafael catches on what you're doing and starts to smile, which definitely makes the whole endeavour better. That is, until someone demonstrate a total lack of manners by implying you're stuck in childhood (in a way less polite wording…) instead of just _leaving_ like everyone else.

You glance at Rafael, ready to tell him it's alright, you're used to it, no need to feel bad… but instead of the upset you thought you'd see on his face, you get cold, _icy_ anger.

You've never seen him like that, and you suddenly realise how terrifying he could be if he wanted to. Not that you're frightened. This is not directed at you, all the opposite even. So you feel _safe_.

Your interlocutor pales slightly, derailed in their thought process by the mere weight of Rafael's stare. You can't help but grin.

"Want to elaborate?" you offer, all sweet and sugary.

Without surprise, you only get an evasive answer. What's unexpected is the _literal_ run towards relative safety (behind the buffet).

You try not to laugh. (OK, you don't try very hard.) When you're forced to stop giggling because you need to breathe, Rafael is looking at you, confused.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch what's so funny," he points out.  
"It's the first time I see someone _flee_ like that!" you answer enthusiastically. "I love it when you frighten the deserving!"

He instantly turns beet red.

"I… thank you…" he mumbles.

Bringing him was your best idea .

After that, people prudently stop harassing you, so you just talk with Rafael while munching on petits fours.

"Do we need to stay?" Rafael eventually asks.  
"Probably not," you admit after thinking over it. "I think every official saw I was here, I did my part. Why, you have somewhere to be?"

He shakes his head. (Gods, his hair is really to die for.)

"I just… I was wondering…" He stops, takes a breathe and tries again. "There's a place I'd like to show you, do you want to go? I promise it's less boring than here."

You blink, surprised.

"Now you've got me curious. Of course I'd like to go!"

Before today you never met with Rafael outside of your shop, and now he knows where you live and wants to bring you somewhere. Talk about a broadening of horizons.

And so you leave the gala and go back to your car. Rafael guides you, and you soon find yourself in front of what looks like a night club. Which is not _at all_ what you expected from Rafael, but he seems to indeed be a regular considering how he greets the bouncer.

You just have the time to read the name of the place ("The Monster's Den") before Rafael pulls you inside.

It's dark and warm, bordering on too hot, but manages to avoid the blinding lights most night clubs use. The music is probably a bit deafening on the dance floor, but from the entrance of the room it's bearable.

Rafael makes a beeline for the bar and you follow, curious.

"Good evening," he greets the barmaid, who turns and smile at him.  
"Hey Raf! You… ooooooooh," she changes track when she sees you, "you must be the _famous_ PM! Great!"

You blink, confused.

"PM…?" you repeat slowly.

The barman –who has eye-catching long blue hair– hip-bumps his colleague to take her place in front of you.

"Plushie Magician," he translates with a wink. "Can't remember who came up with that one–"  
"It was totally Camille," the barmaid interjects.  
"–but it spread and now, well, that's your name here. Sorry."

You can feel yourself blushing.

"You… you often talk about me?" you ask.

The barmaid laughs.

"More like Rafael can't shut up about you! So it's nice to finally meet you!"

Rafael is turning beet red.

"What did you even say to make them call me a magician?" you asks.  
"You _are_ a magician!" Rafael protests. "Well, of a mundane kind, but still…"

You can't help but smile. Plushie Magician, uh? Well, you can live with that.

"I'm Sally," the barmaid says, "and this is Thalis," she points at the blue-haired barman. "Welcome to the Monster's Den!"  
"Thanks."

Suddenly, the name of the place hits you. While you'd _never_ even think of calling Rafael a monster… well, now that it's in front of you, you wonder if in this specific case "monster" should be heard as "technically not human".

"Rafael? Are there… other dragons here?" you whisper to him, leaning close to be heard over the music.

In the corner of your eyes you can see Sally making a "dawwwww they're cute" face.

"Uh, well, only one as far as I know…" Rafael answers shyly. "But there are… others. Not dragons. Not humans either. Not _everyone_ of course, but… some," he finishes clumsily.  
"… and them?" you ask, glancing at the bartenders.  
"Thalis is not human. Sally is 100% human but she knows about us and doesn't care at all." He hesitates. "They're really nice…" he adds, barely audible.

You smile.

"I'm glad you have friends and a place where you can feel safe."

He beams at you. This time you _hear_ Sally going "dawwwwwwwww" out loud. Rafael blushes.

"Uh, do you want to meet the owner?" he asks. "And maybe Dustin is here too, and–"  
"Anyone," you cut him gently. "I'm game."

He grabs your wrist and pulls you further in the Den, whose name suddenly sounds more like "Home".


End file.
